Sky YA fiction

Sky is a beautifully moving book about a young Australian girl who although faced with difficult circumstances, finds her voice and learns to speak up for herself and those who cannot speak for themselves.

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After her mother’s death, Sky is forced to leave her city life behind and move in with her aunt and uncle in a small Australian town. But the city isn’t all that she leaves behind. Trying to fit in with her new friends means doing things she never dreamt she’d do. And falling for the school queen’s crush is the least of her worries when she’s confronted by tightly guarded family secrets.

Just as she thinks everything is starting to feel normal, Sky stumbles on a case of animal cruelty that forces her to make some tough decisions. Will Sky risk everything to stand up for what she believes in? Sometimes you have to lose everything to find yourself.

People who have read Sky, say:

“What a wonderful book. All who read Ondine’s book will fall in love with chickens.”- Emma Haswell, Founder of Brightside Farm Sanctuary.

“Sky is a very well-written book with an interesting heroine and a great story. Sky touches on issues common to all teenagers, so you don’t have to be vegan or into animal rights to get a lot out of it.”- Ethan, 15yrs.

“Sky takes readers on a roller coaster of emotions that leaves them rooting for justice to prevail over unfair social norms time and again. It offers a good lesson for us all that kindness toward others - including those who don’t reciprocate it - makes us all better off. “- Paul Shapiro, Vice President of policy at The Humane Society of the United States.

"In a lucid and highly engaging style, Sky offers young adults an opportunity to gaze at the world anew, wonder at the possibilities, and begin to become the kind of person the animals we share our lives with believe us to be. Throughout this short and incredibly sweet novel, animals and our interactions with them are positioned as a relationship rather than a transaction. Sky takes us on a journey that transcends the (currently) dominant perception that other animals are merely commodities or resources, offering anyone with the fortune to pick up this book a change to re-imagine and re-create a kinder world for all."- Alex Vince, Animal Liberation NSW.

Teacher Resources

Sky can be used as an educational text, to support a range of learning objectives in the Australian Curriculum. Teachers can access a variety of creative and engaging classroom activities related to Sky (suitable for grades 7-9), in the Teaching Notes produced by The Author People. Download the Teachers' Notes by clicking on the thumbnail to the right.

Further resources about chickens and the production of chicken meat in Australia, can be found on our Resources page.